R2v3 Appendix C: Test and Repair

Reuse comes before recycling in R2v3 — but only if the equipment actually works. That is the job of Appendix C, the part of the standard that governs test and repair. Our certification scope includes Appendix C, along with Appendices A and B, so these are the rules behind any equipment we prepare for a second life.

(As with our other standards posts, this is our educational summary, not SERI’s official interpretation.)

Testing is not the same as a quick look

Appendix C draws a line that matters for buyers. Simply evaluating a device to see whether it might be reusable — a visual inspection, a power-on check, a basic test — does not by itself bring a facility under Appendix C. But once a facility tests or repairs equipment and offers it for reuse as a functioning product, Appendix C applies in full.

That distinction protects the buyer. A device described as tested and working should have been tested and verified as working, not just switched on and assumed to be fine.

What Appendix C requires

First, a certified quality management system, such as ISO 9001 or RIOS. Test and repair is not done on judgement alone; it runs under an audited system with documented procedures, trained staff, and records.

Second, an R2 Reuse Plan. Before testing starts, the facility plans how each type of equipment will be tested, what counts as passing, how repairs will be handled, and how the results will be recorded. Different devices need different test plans — a laptop, a phone, and a monitor are not tested the same way.

Third, product safety and quality controls. Repairs must not make a device unsafe, and a repaired device must be checked again before it is offered for reuse. Replacing a part — a hard drive, memory, a screen, an embedded battery, or a board-level component — counts as repair. Swapping a consumable or a user-replaceable item does not.

Fourth, honest categorization. Equipment offered for reuse is described by how thoroughly it was tested and what works: whether only its key functions were verified, whether all of its hardware was tested, or whether it was fully refurbished, with software loaded and configured and test results available. Missing parts, defects, and limits have to be disclosed, not glossed over. A buyer should be able to tell, from the description, exactly what level of testing the device received.

Sanitization comes first

Test and repair does not bypass data security. Equipment destined for reuse must be sanitized under Appendix B before it is tested for resale — the subject of last week’s post. Testing a device that still holds someone else’s data would defeat the purpose of the whole process, so the order matters: sanitize, then test, then repair if needed, then verify again.

Why it matters to you

If you are buying refurbished equipment, or sending equipment out for reuse, Appendix C is the reason a certified facility’s “tested and working” claim should mean something specific. It is backed by a quality system, a written plan, documented tests, and a label that says how much testing actually happened.

And if a device cannot pass — if it cannot be repaired safely or economically — it does not get sold as working anyway. It moves down the hierarchy, to recycling, where its materials are recovered. That is reuse done honestly: a second life for what works, and no false promises for what does not.